The body necessitates sleep. But society defines it.
In changing our approach and mindset towards sleep (starts here), it is useful to understand that there are many direct and indirect factors defining the structure, duration, character, and quality of it. Society is one of them. And a dominant one at that. When we talk about society shaping sleep patterns, we are referring to the general population. We of course exclude out many groups. For instance, the shift workers. For them, their job dominates society, in deciding when and how they sleep. But the sleeping time and structure of the general population show patterns.
There are research studies that state that countries like India, Japan, Singapore are the most sleep-deprived ones. On average, these countries sleep only about 6–7 hours. While countries like the Netherlands and Belgium get around 8 hours and some minutes of sleep. This might not look like a significant difference, but lesser than 8 hours and even 30 minutes differences have an impact on cognitive functions.
It is not just the duration, but also the structure. To escape the hottest parts of the day, afternoon siesta became a popular thing in Spain, and even Greece, Italy and Africa. It was considered essential to restore energy. While these countries encourage napping, countries like the US and India are not the biggest believers in it.
Culture and society also play a part in defining sleeping habits. You would not imagine letting your baby nap in strollers outside your house, while you are on the inside if you do not come from Scandinavia. But in Norway and Sweden, Al Fresco napping is a thing. While the Americans are strong preachers of developing independence in their babies at an early stage and let them sleep in different rooms, co-sleeping (children sleeping within an arm’s reach of family members) is more popular in non-western countries.
Now, the goal is not to bring uniformity in sleeping patterns or habits. Not as the first step at least. We love the cultural variety in everything, right? Focusing on an ideal duration is of utmost importance. Understanding and analyzing quality comes next. However, being aware of how your sleep is shaped by society and if these habits and patterns need changes is also a good step towards attaining that perfect sleep.
When you go to bed this week, think about the role that your society plays in shaping your sleeping habits. Do you pray before bed because you were taught to? Do you sleep with the “worry doll” because all the kids in your culture do that? Are there any factors in there that could be hampering your sleep and needs changes? Are there any factors that are commonly done around you and are beneficial for better sleep but you do not practice it? Find these answers, understand their impact, and bring changes if needed.
